Michelle Johnson, USDA Forest Service
Rich Hallett, USDA Forest Service
Rachel Holmes, The Nature Conservancy
To keep pace with the increasing impacts of climate change, people across the country are planting more and more trees – trillions of trees even. But how will you track these trees to make sure you get the optimal return on this investment of time and resources? Join us for a presentation and demonstration of Healthy Trees, Healthy Cities (HTHC), a free app and suite of resources developed in partnership by The Nature Conservancy and the USDA Forest Service. Drs. Michelle Johnson and Rich Hallett of the USDA Forest Service will share the science behind the HTHC non-stressor specific health monitoring protocol, talk about what you need to get started on your own tree health monitoring project for new trees and/or mature trees and describe an opportunity to have your data used to answer questions about the relationship between tree stewardship and health. Rachel Holmes of The Nature Conservancy will provide examples of how HTHC has touched down in cities across the country, and discuss new resources and enhancements available for training civic scientists to monitor tree health and detect pests using our app and dashboard, focusing on creative ways to leverage these tools to support your planting efforts this planting season and beyond.